Safety locking mechanism



F. K. FILDES 1,802,416

SAFETY LOCKING MECHANI SM F iled 0C1. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Eliafi... 49

Patented Apr. 28, 1931 PATENT. OFFICE FREDERICK K. FILDES, 01' ALTOONA,

rmmsvnvmu I SAFETY LOCKING MECHANICS Application filed October 9, 1929. Serial No. 398,380.

. The present invention relates to door locking mechanism, and particularly to safety locking mechanism for heavy ortable containers of the kind used on rai ways for the shipment of fractional car-load lots.

The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in the safety locking mechanism shown in my 'copending applications, No. 283,524, filed June 7, 1928; and N o.

318,204, filed Nov. 9, 1928 (now Patent No.

1,7 52,634 granted ,April 1, 1930).

I will describe one form of safety locking mechanism embodying my invention and will then point out in claims the novel features thereof. r

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a specific description Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a sheet metal container equipped with safety locking mech- I 90 anism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the improved locking mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through th1s locking mechanism; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through said locking mechanism.

In the drawings (Fig. 1) there is shown a sheet metal container 10 of the type used in transporting goods and merchandise by rail 39 or truck. It will be understood that a num-- ber ofsuch containers will be mounted on a single car or truck, each container being loosely held by s ecially constructed guides with the front 0 the containers facing towards the side of the car or truck, The container is provided with lifting bails 11 and with a door 12 pivoted on a-vertlcal axis by hinges 13. 1

The door may be provided with operating and locking mechanism of the construction shown in my copending application, Ser. No. 280,056, filed May 23, 1928. This mechanism, indicated mostly in dotted lines on Fig. 1, comprises a pair of bolts Hand 15 mounted by short links to a rocker 16, whereby the bolts are adapted to be moved simultaneously in opposite directions. These bolts are operated by a shaft 17 provided with an arm at to the inside of a channel bar 25, which forms the base of the container, is the flanged end of r for vertical sliding movement on the inner side of the door and connected at. their ends" its inner end which projects through a slot in the door and engages a slot in bolt 14, the outer end of said shaft being offset to form a crank which is adapted to engage a keeper 18 mounted on the container near the edge of 66 the door opening. An operating handle 19 is mounted on shaft 17, and when the door is closed and looked a staple 20 projects through a slot near the extremity of the handle and has a perforation through which a padlock or seal may be passed.

In addition to the locking mechanism above described, there is provided additional looking mechanism with which my safety locking devices are connected, but the details of this locking mechanism also form no part of the present invention, being shown and claimed in my copcnding application, Ser. No. 283,524. This additional mechanism is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. It comprises a bar 21 mounted for vertical sliding movements on the inside of the container adjacent the edge of the door opening. -This bar is formed with inclined cam slots 22, which engage pins 23 fixed to horizontal bolts 24 which are adapted to be projected into locking engagement with the edge of the door or to be retracted therefrom according as the bar is moved up or down. As shown in Fig. 1 the bar is down and the bolts are projected into locking engagement with the door. 'When the bar is moved up by mechanism hereinafter described, the bolts 24 will be retracted from the door and the latter can then be opened by operating handle 19 to withdraw bolts 14 and 15.

The improvements to which the present invention is particularly directed are illustrated in detail by Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Riveted a cylindrical housing 26, which extends under the bottom of the container transversely to the plane of the door. A circular aperture is formed in the wall of the container and in the base bar 25 in registry with the bore of the housingv and the opening thus formed is adapted to be c'losedby a circular disc d pivoted at its upper edge on a screw E.

Mounted in the bore of housing 26 is a hollow shaft 27 in the front end of which is secured the barrel 28 of a lock. This barrel is confined against axial displacement between an interior annular shoulder at the front end of shaft 27 and the front. end of a section of pipe or tube 29 secured in shaft 27 by means of a transverse pin 30 which passes through registering holes in the tube and shaft and projects from the shaft at both sides. The lock barrel is held from rotation in shaft 27 by means of a screw 31. The barrel has a laterally projecting locking pin 32 adapted to engage an annular recess 33 formed in housing 26. This bolt is adapted to be withdrawn from recess 33 by the operation of a proper key inserted in the exposed end of the barrel. The barrel is convenient.- l assembled in shaft 27 by inserting it through a cut-away portion 34 of said shaft and then pushing it throu h the shaft, a longitudinal slot 35 in the shaft being provided to permit the passage of bolt 32 which, it is to be noted, is not retractable entirely within the barrel.

Rotatably mounted on the cylindrical housing 26 is a sleeve 36, and screwed on the inner end of this sleeve is a cylinder 37, the latter being locked on the sleeve by a screw 38. Pins 39 mounted in sockets of sleeve 36 and engaging a circular groove of housing 26 permit rotation of the sleeve but prevent axial displacement thereof. Rotatable on sleeve 36 between the end of cylinder 37 and an annular shoulder on sleeve 36 is a strap 40 integral with a socket member 41 in which is fixed a handle 42. Slidably mounted in socket 41 is a pin 43 adapted to project through the socket and engage holes.

the upper end of which is connected to the cam bar 21.

The inner end of sleeve 36 is formed with a pair of diametrically disposed notches 51 which are adapted to be engaged by the pro- 'ecting portions of (pin 30. A coil spring 52 aring at one en against pin 30 and at. its other end against an annular closure 53 fixed in the end of cylinder 37 tends to move shaft 27 outwardly and engage pin 30 in the notches 51 of sleeve 36. The inner end of shaft 27 projects through the end closure 53 and is closed by a cork stopper 54.

The above described safety mechanism rmits the door of..the container to be unlb cked, either by operation of the key look, without the necessity of lifting the container from its support; or by operation of handle 42 after the container has been lifted a substantial distance from the floor of the car or other support on which it rests. Unauthorized opening of the container is thus effectively guarded against, since to open the container necessitates the possession of a particular key or that the container be lifted a substantial distance from its support, which cannot be done without special apparatus, as the container with its lading is very heavy.

An authorized person having the proper key can by inserting it in the outer end of lock barrel 28 withdraw the locking pin 32 from recess 33, whereupon spring 52 will project shaft 27 and engage pin 30 with the sockets 51 in the inner end of sleeve 36. It is within the scope of the invention to provide other means for rotating sleeve 36 than a handle permanently mounted on the sleeve. For example, an obvious equivalent means for this purpose is a separate spanner wrench having a tooth adapted to engage the holes 44 in the sleeve. Then by engaging with a socket wrench the outer end of shaft 27, which as shown in Fig. 2 is polygonal in cross section, the operator can turn the shaft and with it the sleeve 36 to raise the cam bar 21 and withdraw bolts 24. It is pointed out that the clearance between the pin 32 and the inner wall of recess 33 is greater than the clearance between pin 30 and a lining pipe 55 secured in cylinder 37. This insures against the success of any attempt to break the locking pin 32 by hammering against the end of hollow shaft 27, since pin 30 is strong enough to resist any such hammering.

When the container has been lifted a sufiicient distance from its support, it is possible to withdraw the locking bolts 24 by oscillatin handle 42. Normally this handle lies parafiel to the bottom of the container with its pin 43 disengaged from a hole in sleeve- 36, so that it does not interfere with the rotation ofsleeve 36 in the key-controlled operation of locking bolts 24. When the container has been lifted from its support a distance at least equal to the length of handle 42, an operator by grasping the handle and pushing in on thumb piece 45 can engage pin 43 in a hole 44 of the sleeve, and then by moving the handle downward to a vertical position the sleeve 36 will be rotated through a quarter turn. This quarter turn will not be suflicient to withdraw the bolts 24 entirely, and the operator will therefore release the thumb piece to permit spring 46 to disenga e pin 43 and will then move back the hand e to a horizontal position, in which position the pin 43 will be opposite the next hole 44, it being noted that there are only four holes. This two-step operation will effect rotation of sleeve 36 through an angle of 180 from normal locked position, which tive means for unlocking the door, which are non-interfering and each of which is effectively uarded against unauthorized operation. t is to be particularly noted that the mechanism is entirely supported by the cylindrical housing 26. This housing is secured to the container only at its front end, and therefore the mechanism cannot be put out of operation or distorted by any distortions of the container or its-frame.

Having now particularly described a practical embodiment of my invention, without intending to limit the invention to the exact details described, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In combination with a portable container having a door in one side and having its bottom spaced from the support on which the container rests, locking mechanism for the door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the container beneath thebottom. thereof and having a crank connected to said locking mechanism, and an arm rotatably'carried by said shaft and adapted upon oscillation to rotate the latter step by step.

2. In combination with a container having a door in one side and having its bottom spaced from the support on which the container rests, locking mechanism for the door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the container beneath the bottom thereof and operably connected to said locking mechanism,

, an arm rotatable on said shaft and normally disengaged therewith, and manual means for engaging the arm with said shaft so that the latter can be rotated step by step upon oscillation of the arm.

3. In combination with a portable container having a door in one side and a base bar supporting the bottom of the container in spaced relation to the support on which it rests, locking mechanism for the door, a c'lindrical'housing securedat one-end to the base bar and projecting under the bot tom of the container transversely to the plane of the door, a sleeve rotatable on said housing having a crank operably connected to said locking mechanism, an arm having a strap surrounding said sleeve and connections between the arm and sleeve effecting a step-by-step movement of the latter upon I oscillation of the former.

4. In combination with a portable container having a door in one side and a base bar supporting the bottom of the container in spaced relation to the Support on which it rests, locking mechanism for the door. a cylindrical housing flanged at one end and bolted to the base bar, said housing extending under the container transversely to the plane of the door, a sleeve rotatable on'said housing having a crank operably connected to said locking mechanism, an arm havinga strap rotatable on said sleeve, said sleeve having a plurality of circumferentially spaced sockets and a manually operable spring-pressed pin mounted on said arm and adapted to engage said sockets, said pin being normally disengaged.

5. In combination with a portable container having a door in one side and having its bottom spaced from the support on which the container rests locking mechanism for the door, a. cylindrical housing having one end secured to the container and projecting beneath the bottom thereof transversely to the plane of the door, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said housing having a crank connected to said lockin mechanism, a cylinder fixed to the inner en bf the sleeve, a hollow shaft reciprocable in said housing, a cylinder lock secured in the outer end of said hollow shaft adapted to hold said shaft in a retracted position in the housing, and a spring in said cylinder tending to project said shaft, said shaft whenprojected having means to clutch said sleeve.

'6. In combination with aportable container having a door in oneside and having its bottom spaced from the support on which the container rests, locking mechanism for the door, a cylindrical housing having one end only secured to the container and projecting beneath the bottom thereof transversely to the plane of the door, a sleeve rotatably mounted on'said housing and having a crank operably connected to said locking mechanism, a shaft slidably mounted in said housing and having a non-circular outer end adapted to be engaged by a socket wrench when the shaft is in projected position, a lock for holding the shaft in retracted position, a springtending to project the shaft, clutch members on the shaft andsleeve respectively adapted to be engaged when the shaft is projected. f

7. In combination with a portable container having a door in one side and having its bottom spaced from the support on which the container rests, locking mechanism for the door, a cylindrical housing having one end secured to the container and projecting beneath the bottom thereof transversely to the plane of the door, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said housing having a crank connected to said locking mechanism. a shaft slidably mounted in said housing having a polygonal outer end adapted to by a socket wrench when the shaft is projected. a lock for holding the shaft retracted, a spring tending to project the shaft, clutch men'ibcrs on the shaft and sleeve adapted to be engaged when the shaft is projected, and means for operating the sleeve when the clutch members are disengaged comprising e engaged I Hi i an arm having a strap surrounding the sleeve and rotatable thereon, said arm having normally disengaged means to engage the sleeve and rotate the latter step by step as the arm a is oscillated.

- 8. In combination with a portable con tainer having a door in one side and having its bottom spaced from the support on which the container rests locking mechanism for the door, a housing having one end secured to the container and projecting beneath the bottom thereof transversely to the plane of the door. a sleeve rotatably mounted-on said housing having a crauKconnected to said locking mechanism. a shaft slidably mounted in said housing having a non-circular outer end adapted to be engaged by a socket wrench when the shaft is projected, a lock for holding the shaft retracted. clutch members on go the shaft and sleeve adapted to be engaged when the shaft is projected. and means for operating the sleeve when the clutch members are disengaged comprising an arm ro tatabie on the sleeve and extending laterally from the sleeve, and normally disengaged means for connecting the arm for rotation with the sleeve. r

9. In combination with a portable sheet metal container having a door in one side and having a base bar supporting the bottom of the container spaced from the support on which the container rests, locking mechanism for the door, a cylindrical housing having a flanged end bolted to said base bar and projecting inwardly beneath the bottom of'the container. the base bar having an aperture registering with the bore of said housing. a sleeve rotatable on the housing and operably connected to said locking mechanism, a shaft 40 slidable in said housing adapted to be )10- jected through the aperture in said base ar, a lock holding the shaft retracted in the housing. and clutch elements carried respectively by the shaft and sleeve adapted to be engaged as only when the shaft is projected.

10. In combination with a sheet metal container having a door in one side and having a base bar supporting the bottom ofthe container in spaced relation to the support on WhlCll the container rests, locking mechanism for the door. a housing secured at one end to said base bar and projecting inwardly beneath the bottom of the container, the base b-ar having an aperture registering with the bore of the housing, ,a sleeve rotatable on the housing and operably connected to said locking mechanism. a shaft slidable in said housing adapted to be projected through the aperture in said base bar, a lock holding the shaft retracted, clutch elements carried respectively by the shaft and sleeve, adapted to be engaged only when the shaft is projected. ann manual means for operating said sleeve when said clutch elements are disengaged comprising an arm adapted to be engage a socket in said sleeve.

11. In combination with a portable container having a door in one side, locking mechanism for the door, a. shaft rotatably mounted on the container adjacent the bottom thereof and having a crank connected to said locking mechanism. and an arm on the outside of the container rotatably carried by said shaft-and adapted upon oscillation to rotate thelatter step by step. said arm being adapted to engage the support on which the container rests so that .it cannot be oscillated until the container basbeen lifted.

l2. In combination with a portable container having a door in one side and having its bottom spaced from the support on which the container rests. locking mechanism for the door. a cylindrical housing having one end secured totlie eontaineraml projecting beneath the bottom thereof transversely to the plane of the door. a sleeve rotatable on said housing having a crank connected to said locking mechanism. a shaft slidably mounted in said housing having an outer end adapted to be engaged by a suitable tool for rotation thereot' when projected. a lock for holding the shaft retracted, a spring tending to pro -jeet the shaft, clutch members on the shaft and sleeve adapted to be engaged when the shaft is projected, and manual means for rotating the sleeve when the clutch members are disengaged.

13. In combination with a sheet metal cnn 'tainer having a door in one side and having a base bar supporting the bottom of the container in spaced relation to the support on which the container rests, locking mechanism for the door, a housing secured at one end to said base bar and projecting inwardly beneath the bottom of the container, the base bar having an aperture registering with the bore of the housing. a sleeve rotatable on the housing and operably connected to said locking mechanism, a shaft slidable in said housing adapted to be projected through the aperture in said base bar, a lock holding the shaft retracted, clutch elements carried respectively by the shaft and sleeve adapted to be engaged only when the shaft is projected. and manual means for rotating said sleeve when the shaft is projected, and manual means for rotating said sleeve when the clutch elements are disengaged.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

FREDERICK K. FILDES. 

